CNN Student News Transcript: September 2, 2008

(CNN Student News) -- September 2, 2008

Quick Guide

Hurricane Gustav - View some of the damage caused by Hurricane Gustav along the Gulf Coast.

Republican National Convention - Discover Gustav's impact on events at the Republican National Convention.

Iraq: Handing it Over - Look back at some of the volatile occurrences in Iraq's Anbar province.

Transcript

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Hi everyone. Good Tuesday to you. Welcome to CNN Student News. We're back from a three-day weekend with a ton of really big stories to cover. From a hurricane to the Republican National Convention. From the CNN Center, I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: Hurricane Gustav

AZUZ: First up, parts of the Gulf Coast battle severe weather and the Republican National Convention cancels some events, all because of Hurricane Gustav. This storm made landfall on Monday as a Category 2 hurricane, a little bit less than it had been brewing in the Gulf. But it still brought heavy winds, rain that led to flooding in a lot of areas. It weakened to a Category 1 storm after it hit, but the mayor of New Orleans says they are "not out of the woods yet." Dan Lothian has the latest on the damage caused by the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN REPORTER: Keep your eyes on the TV: That's the power of Gustav, ripping roofing off a building on Grand Isle, Louisiana, a barrier island in the middle of the storm's path. And here's some video of flooding from Gulfport, Mississippi. Just look how high the water is and how swift the currents are. In Alabama, a rescue operation: A local TV reporter found a wet kitten in a field.

LOCAL TV REPORTER: Whoa, easy, easy.

LOTHIAN: He picked it up and wrapped it up in a towel. Here, we're taking you on a drive through the streets of New Orleans, and you can see trees leveled and debris on the ground. Wind from Gustav sent whitecaps over the city's levees, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said there were no major problems, though one parish president says there is threat of a breach in one private levee south of the city. President Bush, who was criticized for his administration's response during Hurricane Katrina, canceled plans to attend this week's Republican National Convention and went to Texas to meet with emergency workers and evacuees.

U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: The coordination on this storm is a lot better than on, than during Katrina.

LOTHIAN: Officials place the damage estimate at about $8 billion. A curfew is in place here in Baton Rouge and also in the New Orleans area. And of course, all eyes are on the levee system around New Orleans. The hope, of course, is that those levees hold. For CNN Student News, I'm Dan Lothian, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Impact Your World

AZUZ: You saw some of the damage in those pictures, but it's going to take some time before we know just how much damage Gustav will cause. However, relief organizations are already jumping into action to help the victims of this storm. If you want to learn how you can help out, head to CNNStudentNews.com and check out the Impact Your World link. You'll find that in the Spotlight section of our home page.

Republican National Convention

AZUZ: The Republican Convention is underway, but plans for the week-long event are shifting because of the hurricane. And John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, has asked organizers to tone down the party atmosphere that's usually associated with this kind of event.

The schedule may be changing, but the location stays the same: St. Paul, Minnesota. That's where GOP delegates from across the U.S. have gathered to officially declare McCain as their presidential nominee. The impact of Hurricane Gustav was front and center as the convention was gaveled into session yesterday. When first lady Laura Bush took to the podium, she only talked for a few minutes and she was mentioning setting aside party politics as the country provides aid to those people affected by Hurricane Gustav.

FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: The effect of Hurricane Gustav is just now being measured. When such events occur, we're reminded that first we're all Americans. We hope that the people on the Gulf Coast know that the American people are here to do what we can to assist them.

AZUZ: Mrs. Bush was joined on stage by Cindy McCain, John McCain's wife. Mrs. McCain urged people to donate to aid organizations as she acknowledged how large the relief efforts could be.

CINDY MCCAIN: Although the task of helping the region recover from this disaster is too large for any one individual or organization, together we can accomplish so much to help those who have been affected.

AZUZ: Another female republican is expected to have a prominent speaking role at the convention: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. That's because she's John McCain's choice for vice president! Governor Palin made her first appearance with Sen. McCain at an event in Ohio last Friday. That's when he officially introduced her as his running mate. Palin becomes just the second woman in American history, behind Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, to be the vice presidential candidate on a major party ticket.

Fast Facts

NINETTE SOSA, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for some Fast Facts! Sarah Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1964. From 1996 to 2002, she served as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and was chosen by her peers to be president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. In 2006, Palin became the youngest governor in Alaskan history and the first woman to hold the office.

Iraq: Handing it Over

AZUZ: Turning to the Middle East, where Iraqi forces are now in control of a region that was once one of the most violent in the country. At a ceremony in Ramadi yesterday, the U.S.-led coalition handed over security for Anbar province. At one time, Anbar was home to the nation's Sunni insurgency. That's why an official described the transfer as "major progress" for Iraq. Arwa Damon looks at the history of conflict in Anbar.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARWA DAMON, CNN REPORTER: The handover of al Anbar province arguably holds more significance than that of other provinces. It is the 11th to be handed over to Iraqi security forces, but it's the first Sunni Arab province. And then there's its history: It was once almost entirely, if not entirely, controlled by al Qaeda in Iraq. There were some parts of it that the U.S. military didn't even dare venture into. And few will forget the images of the four Blackwater contractors strung from the bridge in Fallujah after their convoy was ambushed in 2004. And then the two major battles for control of that city that took place in April and in November of that year; some of the fiercest fighting of this war. Those battles that drove the bulk of the insurgents north into the Euphrates River Valley, where the U.S. military spent the better part of 2005 chasing them down from Hit and Haditha all the way up to the Syrian border. Then there was the ongoing battle for control of Ramadi that didn't really start to calm down until 2006. But the U.S. military never really had full control over al Anbar province; quite simply, its forces were stretched too thin. It wasn't until the Awakening Councils were born that the province truly came under control. The Awakening Councils in that area, by and large, made up of former insurgents who were fighting with al Qaeda. Al Qaeda overplayed its hand, and they switched alliances and began fighting with the U.S. military against al Qaeda.

At this morning's handover, we heard from Sheik Ahmed Rishawi; his brother was head of the Awakening Councils, was assassinated in a roadside bomb. Sheik Ahmed Rishawi taking over control from him in al Anbar province. And he spoke about the Awakening Councils' victory against al Qaeda in Iraq. But in his speech, he also highlighted the ongoing and increasing tensions between the Awakening Council and the Iraqi government, mainly because of a list, a recent list issued by the Iraqi government that contains the names of 650 members of the Awakening Councils it wants to see detained. The Shia-dominated Iraqi government has always been very wary of these councils, mainly Sunni, and are still being largely funded and supported by the U.S. military, although the Iraqi government has pledged to start paying the salaries of about half of its members in November. But we have been seeing the tension increasing between both sides to such a point where some members of the Awakening Councils are saying that if the Iraqi government doesn't change its attitude, doesn't change its policy towards them, they will either step down or revert to their old ways. Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Shoutout

SOSA: Time for the Shoutout! The U.S. is made up of 50 states, but how many provinces are there in Iraq? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) 12, B) 18, C) 26 or D) 32? You've got three seconds -- GO! There are 18 provinces in the Middle Eastern nation, which is about twice the size of the U.S. state of Idaho. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Promo

AZUZ: Our daily e-mail: It's your one-stop shop for everything CNN Student News. Stories we're covering in the show. Special programming, like our Talking Democracy series. Answers to our weekly Newsquiz. Even how to send us an iReport. Registration is fast, easy and best of all, free! So sign up today at CNNStudentnews.com!

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, we've got a glimpse of Zoo Atlanta's newest arrival: a giant panda cub. We're not talking about the big guy; that's mom. No, we mean the pink blob squirming around on the floor there. Yeah, not so giant just yet. In fact, when the cub was born, it was about the size of a stick of butter. And don't worry, it looks a lot cuter in the close-up. No public appearances for the new bundle of joy just yet. For now, just lots of love from mom.

Goodbye

AZUZ: If you're looking for a bad puns here, we can't bear to pass up the chance. I'm sorry. We'll see you tomorrow, I'm Carl Azuz.